Healthy cooking oils

There are so many different oils available today. This blog will break down the best uses for the most popular ones and which are the best options for your health.

Whether you are cooking or baking, most recipes call for oil of some sort. There seem to be more and more different kinds of oil in the grocery store every day. Vegetable, sunflower, coconut, avocado, olive, macadamia nut, flaxseed, grapeseed, and on and on and on. Why are there so many?!? It’s crazy!

I want to break down the differences for you and which oils are a better option for your health.

Before we delve in too deep I want to explain a pretty important characteristic of oil you should be paying attention to. That is the smoke point. Every oil has it’s own smoke point. Smoke point is the temperature at which an oil starts to burn and smoke. At that point you will get a burnt taste to you food but will also damage the nutrients found in the oil and create harmful free radicals.

And for you bargain shoppers, if you are shopping at Costco, don’t waste your money on the large containers of oil unless you are sure to use it in less than a year. Keep oil longer than that and it will turn rancid.

Vegetable/Canola/Corn oil

Smoke Point: 450°F

Use: Frying, sautéing, baking. It has a neutral taste. This oil is made from corn which has a high level of glyphosate use. The process used to extract this oil is called hexane solvent extraction. The corn is ground to a paste and hexane is used to extract the oil. Then it is heated and bleached to get a lighter color. This process damages the oil, increasing oxidation. Not to mention the corn crops used to make the oil are almost sprayed with glyphosate as a pesticide which has been proven to cause cancer. If possible, stay away from using this oil.

Extra virgin olive oil

Smoke point: 325°F

Use: Dressings, finishing. EVOO is from the first press of the olive. It has amazing flavors ranging from buttery to grassy that is great for vinaigrettes or dipping bread. It has a lower smoke point and really shouldn’t be used for cooking. This is a great, healthy option.

Olive oil

Smoke point: 465-470°F

Use: Sautéing, roasting. This oil is extracted using water after the olives have been turned into a paste. It often is treated with chemicals to neutralize flavor. This is a better option for high-heat cooking than vegetable/canola oil.

Avocado oil

Smoke point: 520°F

Use: Frying, sautéing, roasting, all high heat cooking as well as vinaigrettes. This oil kinda does it all and is a staple in my home. It has a clean taste that blends well with pretty much anything. Because it has such a high smoke point this is the only oil I will use if I am frying. This is a great healthy oil!

Coconut oil

Smoke point: refined is 400°F-450°F and virgin is 350°F

Use: Baking, roasting at moderate heat, light sautéing. This oil comes solid when at room temperature. It melts easily and adds a slight tropical hint to food and baking. Refined coconut oil is made from dried coconuts where virgin is made from fresh coconuts and has a more coconutty flavor. It is great for a popcorn topping and is another good healthy oil to use.

Peanut oil

Smoke point: 450°F

Use: Frying, sautéing, roasting, high heat cooking. It has a nutty flavor but this oil can turn rancid pretty quick so store in a cool dry place and only store for a few months. Peanut oil can be extracted by pressing or by using a solvent extraction. It can be hard to tell which process has been used so personally I opt for other oils before using this one.

Grapeseed oil

Smoke point: 420°F

Use: Sautéing, roasting, finishing. This oil has a pretty clean flavor and allows other flavors to come through which is great for vinaigrette use. It is recognized by it’s green color. Try to find one that is cold-pressed if possible.

Hemp seed

Use: Finishing. Too delicate to heat. Very nutty and rich flavor. Use it to top soups or in vinaigrette. Store this oil in the fridge.

Flaxseed Oil:

Use: Finishing, oiling your pan. Like hemp seed oil, this is too delicate to heat. It also has a nutty tasty but some find it a bit too funky for them. You can use in dressings sparingly and is great for seasoning a pan. Store this one in the fridge.

Sunflower seed oil

Smoke point: 440-450°F

Use: Sautéing, roasting. This oil has a higher smoke point which makes it more versatile in your kitchen. Due to being from a seed, it does turn rancid faster than other oils so make sure to store in a cool, dry place.

Sesame oil

Smoke point: 410°F

Use: Sautéing, roasting. This is a great oil-purpose oil with a slightly lower smoke point than grapeseed or avocado. I especially like to use it when cooking Asian food as it adds a nutty depth that goes well with easy dishes like stir-fry and egg roll in a bowl.

Nut oils (walnut, pistachio)

Use: Finishing. Again, these oils are too delicate to heat but have tons of flavor. Get creative with these in dressings, toppings for salads and soups.

I hope this has helped clarify the world of oils to you and maybe even introduce you to a few you have never heard of!